GREEN BAY — The Green Bay Packers and Cincinnati Bengals meet Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium in what might be a preview of the 48th Super Bowl matchup in New York.

“Both teams are capable,” a veteran NFL assistant coach said Tuesday. “I just don’t know if the Bengals have got a quarterback that can do that.”

With Aaron Rodgers and nine other starters in tow from a championship team three years ago, there are no such reservations about Green Bay.

Not so with Andy Dalton, a third-year player trying to lead Cincinnati to its first Super Bowl in 25 years.

“Is he a special quarterback?” an executive in personnel for an AFC team said. “I don’t think he is. He’s coming along, but he’s not totally consistent.”

Dalton’s only appearance against Green Bay came in the third exhibition game last summer in Cincinnati. Under heavy blitz pressure from Dom Capers, Dalton completed just five of 17 passes for 40 yards.

The Packers are favored by two points, but the coach picked Cincinnati to win, 24-21, as did the scout, 21-17.

A personnel man from another AFC club tabbed it 28-17, Green Bay. He thinks the Bengals could be in for a letdown after playing Monday night and beating depleted Pittsburgh, 20-10, for just the second time in their last 13 meetings in Cincinnati.

“The Bengals are coming off a big game,” the scout said. “But their inside pass rush is really good.”

“Defensively, they got a lot of studs,” the coach said. “They’re strong in both the offensive and defensive lines. They’re just a solid football team.

“If Green Bay can get their receivers going, Aaron will have a lot of completions. But is he going to have enough time to get that done?

“Are they as good as San Francisco? No, I don’t think so. But this will be a test for Green Bay.”

This will be the first of four games for the Packers against teams from the AFC North, which hasn’t been won by the Bengals since 2009.

“In the AFC North, I don’t know which team is good,” one scout said. “Cleveland? No. And Baltimore barely got by Cleveland. Baltimore is like Pittsburgh. They lost a lot of people.

“Can Cincinnati win the division? Absolutely. I just don’t know if they’re all-around good enough.”

OFFENSE

SCHEME

Jay Gruden, the third-year coordinator, calls the plays for a West Coast attack and likes to throw. The base set includes two wide receivers, two tight ends and one running back. On Monday night against Pittsburgh, Orson Charles, the only fullback on the roster, was a healthy scratch. The tight ends flex all over the formation, ala New England when it had Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez.

RECEIVERS

WR A.J. Green (6-31/2, 207), the fourth pick in 2011, isn’t as fast and can’t jump as high as Detroit’s Calvin Johnson. His arms (343/8) are almost as long, and he runs the 40 in 4.49 seconds and has great hands. Green is among the game’s top five WRs. Versatile Mohamed Sanu (6-11/2, 210), a third-round pick in ’12, has become a full-time player because mighty mite Andrew Hawkins (ankle), who had 51 catches last year, is on designated injured reserve. Sanu isn’t fast (4.58) but shields defenders in the red zone, catches everything and is a sharp route runner. Marvin Jones (6-2, 195), the No. 3 WR, isn’t explosive but does have size and speed. TE Jermaine Gresham (6-5, 260), the 21st pick in ’10, has gotten tougher and is off to the best start of his top-notch career. An upright runner, Gresham has been making tacklers miss. He’s athletic, rolls down the seam and is a solid blocker. TE Tyler Eifert (6-51/2, 250), the 21st pick in April, runs every bit as well as Gresham (4.67) and moves effortlessly downfield. He has soft hands, spears high throws and at least gives effort as a blocker. One-time Buccaneer starter Alex Smith (6-4, 250) also plays extensively.

OFFENSIVE LINE

The unit was bolstered Monday night by the return of LT Andrew Whitworth (6-7, 335), who missed more than a month with a knee injury. A second-round pick in ’06, he has 103 starts. Whitworth isn’t a great athlete and tends to bend at the waist, but he competes hard, brings an enforcer-type attitude and mauls in the run game. RT Andre Smith (6-4, 341), the sixth pick in ’09, has turned his career around after two awful seasons. Although not tall, he has long arms (353/8) and an increasingly aggressive temperament. His feet are good, too. Former Badger RG Kevin Zeitler (6-4, 315), the 27th pick in ’12, is a rough-and-tumble player capable of moving bodies. LG Clint Boling (6-41/2, 311), a two-year starter, is smart (30 on the Wonderlic intelligence test) and strong but plays more of a finesse game. C Kyle Cook (6-31/2, 310), a four-year starter, has phenomenal upper-body strength but doesn’t move all that well and probably is the least distinguished regular. Anthony Collins (6-5, 315) is an adequate backup, played 28 snaps compared to Whitworth’s 54 against the Steelers.

QUARTERBACKS

Andy Dalton (6-2, 220), a second-round pick in ’11, owns a 20-16 record as an immediate starter for the Bengals after going 42-7 at Texas Christian. Dalton was wild high early against Pittsburgh. His arm strength and accuracy are no better than adequate, but he does have a quick release. With 4.86 speed and a 29 1/2-inch vertical jump, he isn’t gifted evading pressure or scrambling. Dalton is charismatic and smart (Wonderlic of 29). He’s in complete command of the offense, and Gruden trusts him. Dalton also can take a big hit and jump right back up for the next step. Backup Josh Johnson (6-2 1/2, 205), with his fourth team in six years, has five career starts. In August exhibitions, he rushed 12 times for 143 yards.

RUNNING BACKS

Former Patriot BenJarvus Green-Ellis (5-101/2, 220), a two-time 1,000-yard rusher, is steady. Given his 4.65 speed, he won’t win a foot race. He’s a tough, patient banger with a knack for bleeding yards from poorly blocked inside runs. His hands are suspect, but he rarely fumbles. Rookie Giovani Bernard (5-81/2, 208), an early second-round pick with 4.52 speed, might be the Bengals’ most exciting small back since James Brooks. He’s not the least bit afraid to run inside but is most dangerous on check-downs, screens and draws. It remains to be seen if he can hold up in blitz pickup.

DEFENSE

SCHEME

Aaron Rodgers had one of the longest days of his career in a 31-24 loss to the Bengals, a nine-point underdog, in September 2009. It also was his only appearance against a unit coordinated by Mike Zimmer, who blitzed 36% that afternoon at Lambeau Field. Zimmer, in his 14th season as an NFL coordinator, runs a 4-3 “over” defense. What differentiates Zimmer are his wide variations in fronts and his even wider repertoire of looks and blitzes on third down. He takes chances.

DEFENSIVE LINE

This unit matches up with any in the NFL. Three-technique Geno Atkins (6-11/2, 303), a fourth-round pick in ’10, became the NFL’s highest-paid DT Sept. 2 with a $15 million signing bonus. Atkins is very quick, very strong and very disruptive. Even though Atkins demands double teams, he still collapses the interior, setting up sack chances for LE Carlos Dunlap (6-51/2, 285) and RE Michael Johnson (6-7, 270). Dunlap, a second-round pick in ’10, has great speed (4.62) and a history of making game-deciding plays. A full-fledged starter for the first time, he’s paying more attention to the run, too. Johnson, a third-round choice in ’09, is another dynamic pass rusher. He runs 4.69, bursts off the ball and has been compared to Jevon Kearse. Johnson and Dunlap scored in the high 20s on the Wonderlic. NT Domata Peko (6-21/2, 322), a starter since ’07, does an admirable job plugging the run. Former Chief DE Wallace Gilberry (6-2, 275) has a pass-rush knack. There’s more impressive depth in DT Devon Still (6-5, 320), DE Robert Geathers (6-3, 280) and NT Brandon Thompson (6-2, 325).

LINEBACKERS

WLB Vontaze Burfict (6-11/2, 255) wasn’t even drafted out of Arizona State in ’12 because teams thought he was so unstable. The Bengals signed Burfict as a free agent and now he’s their best LB. Burfict plays much faster than he timed (5.01), calls the defense and provides an in-your-face attitude that was needed. MLB Rey Maualuga (6-11/2, 255), a five-year starter, is a two-down player with good but certainly not intimidating toughness. After losing SLB Manny Lawson to Buffalo, the Bengals signed former Steeler all-pro James Harrison (5-11, 275) for $4.45M over two years. At 35, Harrison’s speed and skills have diminished, and he’s not playing the edge in a 3-4 anymore. Given the Packers’ three-WR base set, he probably won’t play much. FS Taylor Mays (6-3, 220), a second-round (’10) bust in San Francisco, joins Burfict as the other nickel LB. Mays has never played to his prodigious athletic testing numbers.

SECONDARY

Leon Hall (5-11, 195), a starter since arriving as the 18th pick in ’07, ranks among the top 10 to 15 CBs in the NFL. He’s physical, reliable in man and zone coverage, productive at the ball and smart (27 on the Wonderlic). Dallas gave up on LC Terence Newman (5-101/2, 192) in March 2012 after nine seasons as a starter, but he has been a starter ever since in Cincinnati. Zimmer appears to help Newman in his schemes, which in turns places more burden on Hall. Nickel back Adam “Pacman” Jones (5-91/2, 180), the sixth pick in ’05 by Tennessee, sat out ’07 and ’09 for various transgressions before becoming No. 3 in Cincinnati in ’10. Set to turn 30 Monday, Jones still can make a play but also still blows assignments. Former Jaguar FS Reggie Nelson (5-11 1/2, 210), a seven-year starter, has been more physical and disciplined for the Bengals. He’s gifted athletically. Talented SS George Iloka (6-31/2, 217), a fifth-round pick in ’12, has rare size but has been playing with a cast on his broken hand since mid-August that reduces his striking ability.

SPECIAL TEAMS

K Mike Nugent, 31, has made 81.3% of his field-goal attempts for four teams in a nine-year career. All he lacks is top distance. Left-footed P Kevin Huber has a 39.0 net since arriving in ’09. He’s outstanding. PR Adam Jones hasn’t made a fair catch in more than 50 chances and is big-play capable. Former Patriot Brandon Tate is solid on kickoffs. The top hands for veteran coach Darrin Simmons are LB Vincent Rey and RB Cedric Peerman.

GAME-BREAKER

In 2011, WR A.J. Green became the first Bengals rookie voted to the Pro Bowl since WR Cris Collinsworth in 1981. The fourth overall selection in the ’11 draft, Green has 177 receptions for 2,610 yards (14.8) and 20 touchdowns in 33 regular-season games. He has been targeted 27 times already by Andy Dalton, compared with 14 for TE Jermaine Gresham, 13 for WR Mohamed Sanu and 10 for TE Tyler Eifert. He is routinely compared to Calvin Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald and Julio Jones.

WEAKEST LINK

The Bengals might be as slow-footed at linebacker as any NFL team with starters Vontaze Burfict, Rey Maualuga and James Harrison. Second-year man Emmanuel Lamur, who was expected to be their dime linebacker, and rookie Sean Porter, a fourth-round draft choice, suffered season-ending shoulder injuries in August. Both can run. Thus, the Bengals have had to play Burfict on every down. In nickel, they have been using Taylor Mays, a converted safety, alongside Burfict.

McGINN’S VIEW

Three year ago, Cincinnati and Minnesota were among many teams desperate for a quarterback.

The Bengals concluded the 2010 season with Carson Palmer, Jordan Palmer and Dan LeFevour on the depth chart. With Carson Palmer demanding a trade, owner Mike Brown had to have a starter.

In Minnesota, the retirement of Brett Favre left Joe Webb, Patrick Ramsey and Rhett Bomar on the season-ending depth chart.

On draft day, Cam Newton went first to Carolina, Jake Locker went eighth to Tennessee and Blaine Gabbert went ninth to Jacksonville. In a Journal Sentinel pre-draft poll of 24 scouts, the order of those remaining was Ryan Mallett, Christian Ponder, Andy Dalton, Colin Kaepernick and Ricky Stanzi.

Picking 12th, the Vikings chose Ponder over a slew of position players that have become excellent pros. The next five selections were DT Nick Fairley, DE Robert Quinn, C Mike Pouncey, LB Ryan Kerrigan and T Nate Solder.

No other quarterback was taken until the Bengals grabbed Dalton at No. 35. Kaepernick went No. 36 to San Francisco, and then Mallett was taken in the third round and Stanzi in the fifth.

Ponder and Dalton measured the same height (6-2), and both posted high scores on the Wonderlic intelligence test.

After getting the nod over Donovan McNabb seven games into his first year, Ponder has posted a 12-17 record and a passer rating of 76.4. An immediate starter, Dalton is 20-16 with an 84.3 rating.

Each has taken his team to the playoffs, but neither has won a playoff game.

Clearly, Dalton has been the better player so far, and the Bengals got him without having to spend a first-round draft choice.

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